Thoughts for Tuesday. Post 5.

Comparing. Why do we do it? 

It's funny, we do this when their story looks just like ours and we do it if their story looks nothing like ours. We look at their path, their adventures and look at ours and compare. 

There is such a fine line between this being something that helps you grow and something that stops you in your tracks. 

Having people that you look up to is great. If their life causes you to strive to be a better parent or spouse or even a better person then looking at their life can be good. 

If looking at someone's life causing you to get bitter at your lack or angry at your spouse bc of their lack or even angry at life because they are doing "nothing" and getting everything better then you..then that type of looking (comparing) is very bad. 

A week or so ago Jerry and I had to go pick up our van from the shop. We left our house at the same time, got on the same road, and headed to the same location. 

We drive totally different so by time I got there he was already parked and inside talking to the person to get the van. 

I thought about how all the bullet points would have looked the same on paper. 

*leave house at 11:00

* drive I-440 to I -65 to cool springs. 

*arrive at tire store  

Our goals and agenda looked the same but the details were very different. We drive at different speeds and we get stuck or by pass different obstacles. 

We can never compare our personal path, goals, or agendas to someone else's bullet points....no matter how much they look like our own. 

Each person is so individual which makes your path be so individual. 

Enjoy your path. Enjoy the speed you are at. Don't get so focused on looking at their "driving" that you aren't seeing what's in front of you. 

 

Thoughts for Tuesday. Post 4 shadows are not the real thing

This is Wednesday. I am aware of this but I am going to pull the sick card for this one. We are battling a virus and strep throat that is lasting about 1 week per person. No fun.

Anyway back to my Thoughts for Tuesday....on Wednesday. 

Awhile ago I was driving on the interstate and this HUGE shadow goes over the whole road. The shadow was from a plane but it was so large it felt like the plane was just mere feet above the ground. I looked up and saw it was where it should be, thousands of feet in the sky. It had simple been placed at such an angle that the shadow seemed larger then it was. 

It got me thinking about how the enemy does that in our lives or maybe even a bully at school or an abuser. Their position in our lives, either by our placement of them or their doing, can be angled in such a way that it seems huge, overpowering, and even scarey. 

If you have things in your life that cast a big shadow over you maybe you need to pause and see what is causing the shadow. Many times you will find that the object itself isn't really all that big or scarey. 

If it is a bully or abuser causing the shadow then remember that you are worth the fight it takes to remove it. Shadows do one thing, they block the light. Make sure that you are taking the effort to re-angle your self or the object to remove the shadow. 

This picture was taking a year or so ago and is a great example of things looking different then they actually are. This is my daughter with a book bag on. She just happen to be standing funny but it looks like a large roach or some bug. Shadows are simple a distorted view of something. Do not get blinded by the false image of something. 

Thoughts for Tuesday. Post 3. tools to stay sharp

Awhile back I bought some lip liner that was perfectly sharpened. It worked as it was meant to for a long time. When it got dull I realized I had no idea if I had the tools to sharpen it again.

I thought about how we do this with things in our lives. We get something new and we go all awesomeness and have happy thoughts while it works perfectly. Once all the newness is gone we stop using it. 

I thought about how people go to a conference or a church service and they learn about Jesus. They get full of excitement and awesomeness and happy thoughts. That last for some time and then things get dull and it gets set aside. 

Just like my make up, we need tools in our lives to keep things sharp.

 For a walk with God we need a daily walk with him to stay sharp. We need to talk to him, read his word, and be part of a church that teaches His Word. We need to be part of a small group that allows us to be real, to talk when we hurt, and to ask for help when we fall. 

Don't get something new and forget to get the tools to keep it going. Find the tools you need and use them. Ask for help if you have no idea how to activate the tools because having tools and not using them is just as bad as not getting the tools in the first place.